Process of producing a phenolic condensation product



UNHTED P A T LAWRENCE V. REDMAN, CF EVANSTON, AND ARCME- J. WITH AN D FRANK P. BROOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS '10 BEDMANOL CHEMICAL PROD UCTS oomr'm, or smu CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIB- rnocnss or rnonuomc a rnnnomc connnnsarrorr raonucr;

No Drawing.

To all whom it concern:

- Be it known that we, LAWRENCE V. Rnn- MAN, a citizen of Canada, (who hastaken out his first papers for citizenship in the United States,) a resident of Evanston,

Cook count Illinois, ARCHIE J. WEITH and FRANK BRooK,-citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement'in Processes of Producing a Phenolic Condensation Product, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to the production of a phenolic condensation product from a solution of formaldehyde and a phenolic body,

The primary object'is to provide a simple process of producing, from formaldehyde and phenol, without the use of a catalyzer, a phenolic condensation product which is free from deleterious substances and which possesses the highest' qualities.

The preferred method is as follow:

Boil together substantially equal parts (volume or weight) 'of a 40(per cent. solution of formal ehyde (CH and phenol (C,,H OH until there is obtained as a lower Q layer a w ite, creamy, gummy mass and a supernatant aqueous layer, containing approximately 10 ps3 cent. of formaldehyde; discard the aqueous layer, from which any formaldeh de therein may be recovered in any desire manner; introduce into the mass if necessary, a small additional amount of formaldehyde, sa three to five per cent. of the mass, to rep ace any loss occurring in the boiling operation; pour the mass into molds and subject to heat treatment at a temperature below 100 C. and preferably somewhat above 50 C., until the material becomes sufliciently firm or set to enable it to be removed from the molds; and then subject the mass to heat treatment for a prolonged period at a temperature below 100 C. and preferably exceeding 50 C. This Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12,1921. Application filed. September 18, 1918, Serial No. 254,370.

order to produce a hard, resistant and submay be completed within a relatively short.

period, say a period of several days, and results in el minating the reddish or orange tinge and giving to t e product a clear, light ambenor pale lemon color. Also this treatment improves the other qualities, renders mg the material capable of being more readily worked, sawed, tooled, sandpapered and buffed. It is probable that some colloidal change takes place in the material during this treatment, which improves the product, giving it a finer color, a better temper and increased tensile strength. If desired, the gum y mass ma be concentrated somew at by a further eating after the aqueous layer has been discarded and before the mass is poured into. the molds.

erably ranging to Coloring materials maybe added or stirred into'the mass, as, forinstance, auramin, to produce a deep amber color; methyl violet, to produce amethyst; acetyl red, 'to produce dregs of wine, etc. Small quantities of these colors, not to exceed a of one percent. of the mass will suflice. Oils and waxes, to produce opaque materials, and ground mica or fish-scales, to produce a shimmering ef- 'fect may be employed.

ere phenol is employed, the boiling or condensing operation may' require a period of from 60 to 120 hours, spending upon the mass andu on the purity of the phenol, etc. This perio may be shortened by closing the still or reflux condenserand allowing the pressure to increase until the temperature is between 100 and 125 C., or higher, preferably about 125 C. In this manner, the time may be reduced so as to enable the opernltion to be performed in from' 12 to 18 ours.

In the case of ordinary commercial cresol,

-- the boiling v The foregoing detailed where the boiling operation is at atmospheric pressure, the time required may be from 4 to 12 hours; and in the case of crude cresol, operation may becompleted in about 2 hours,

The concentration may be performed in permissible in view of the prior art.

What we regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The process of producing a phenolic condensation product, without the use of a condensing agent, which comprises: boiling ether equal parts of a 40 or cent. formt0 aldehyde solution and pheno until there is formed a viscous gummy lower layer and a supernatant aqueous layer contalning approximately 10 per cent. of formaldehyde;

discarding the aqueous layer shaping and hardening the mass by subjecting to prolonged heat treatment at a temperature below 100 C. until the mass becomes hard and substantially insoluble andanhydrous throughout; and then subjecting the mass 'to further heat treatment at a temperature exceeding 100 (3.: for a relatively short period. v

2. The process of producing a phenolic condensation product, which comprises: boiling together substantially equal parts of a 40 'per cent. solution .of formaldehyde and a phenolic body, without the use of a condensmg agent, until there results a thick-viscous gummy ungelatin'ized lower layer or mass and an aqueous upper layer containing approximately 10 per cent. of formaldehyde;

discarding the aqueous. layerand concentrating the mass; pouring the mass into molds and subjecting to heat treatment ,at' a temperature below 100 C. until the material becomes set; then removing the material from the molds and subjecting the same to prolonged heat treatment at a temperature below 100 C, until the mass" becomes hard and .substantially'insoluble and anhydrous throughout; and'then subjecting the mass to further heat treatment at a temperature exceedin 100 C; for a relatively forth.

- LAWRENCE V. REDMAN. I

' ARCHIE J. WEITH. 4 HFRANK P. BROCK.

short period, or the "purpose set 

